[Closed] Contact lenses and biking

Doh 🙄 sorry double post.

I use silicon lenses which don't dry out in my eyes when I bike very good. I do always wear a clear set of glasses on the top however stope and flying bits of debris and keeps the wind from drying out the lenses when going at speed!

You will get the hang of putting them in just chill and don't rush but eventually it's easy 🙂

I've used them for year for MTBing, road riding, climbing and waterskiing. Much easier than prescription shades cos I can choose what lenses to wear.

I've only ever had one fall out which was during a very dusty Dusk til Dawn - the dust coming up worked it's way under my clear glasses and one lens fell out which gave me really weird vision for the rest of that lap!

Always wear glasses over the top, even if it's just clear lenses, it stops the vast majority of dust/mud and wind.

As for putting them in, just take your time, you'll get used to it.

1) yes - I got them for mtbing and in 15ish years, I've probably only had a couple of problems when I got dry eyes and a lense dried and sort of peeled out - that's not happened for about 5 years though as the latest ones are much better at holding moisture. They don't fall out like old style hard ones used to. They don't sting either - sweat in your eye is no different to if you got sweat in your eye. Mud in it hasn't been a problem for me though any contact lense wearer will tell you that getting something in the lense does hurt/distract like hell but it doesn't happen very often luckily!

2) MTFU 😉 - I was just like you when I started - took me 15-30 mins each day to put them in (easier to get them out though, strangely). After a while you just get used to it. Now it takes about 30 seconds.

I always wear glasses for cycling though - clear or tinted depending on the conditions

I don't have a problem with them, always wear them. I do make sure I always have some protective glasses to prevent spray.

Re: sticking fingers in your eyes, you need to man up and get on with it and over time you get used to it. It is no big deal at all anymore.

I've never found clear glasses to be that reliable - they steam up, get covered in shite and mud still gets flung up from the rear edge of the front wheel and sneaks behind.

Last winter I started using a downtube crud catcher and one of the Steve Peat front fenders - best 16 quid I ever spent!

Not had any crap in my eyes since and I've stopped wearing clear shades altogether. Plus, I have a clean face when sitting in the pub whilst all my mates have the old mud freckles!

Never had a lens fall out while riding, give them another go...

Anyone know of any way to practice sticking fingers in your eyes to overcome the instict to shut them tight?

Practice! Took me two 1 hour sessions at Specsavers before I could get one lens in! I perservered because I didn't want to be speccy on my wedding day, but wanted to be able to see. Wouldn't be without them now -I don't wear them every day because I spend all day in front of a monitor and we have air conditioning, so they dry out quickly, but they're great for biking. Hooray for peripheral vision! \o/

Never had one fall out on the trail. I normally wear biking glasses over the top, but on the occasions I've not I've still been fine, even when there's been a bit of grit or mud fly up.

[i]Anyone know of any way to practice sticking fingers in your eyes to overcome the instict to shut them [/i]

Try putting contact lenses in!

Great for mtbing, I find they actually push any dirt away from the iris, so it doesn't irritate.

Well that's encouraging to know it's not unusual to struggle at first. Will defo give them another go.

Mrs Toast - that's good that they spent that time with you to get you used to it. When I last went, to Vision Express I think, they only spent 5 minutes with me before giving up 😕

With soft lenses I could get them in fine on my first go but I had to get the optician to get them out for me. 😉 Second time I finally got them out myself but only after I'd gone away and watched some videos on the internet. it turns out the optician staff were incredibly inept at describing the removal process. Both times weren't helped by the contact lens fitting station being right in the middle of the waiting room so all the bored people were sat there staring at me doing it.

Anyway, persevere. You'll suddenly get the nack. I can pop them in and out without even thinking about it now. I've never had one come out while riding or anything else for that matter.

+1 all of the above. 😉

They've been great for me, had one ride a wee bit spoiled by a lens that wouldn't stay in place, kept moving when I blinked- I guess it dried out a bit too much. Otherwise spot on. And even normal people sometimes get mud in their eyes 😉

I do wear them with clear glasses if there's any mud, just seems like common sense whether or not you wear contacts.